Image forming system

ABSTRACT

An image forming system includes an image forming unit, a sheet folding unit, a sheet discharge tray, and a control unit. For the print job in which a first sheet bundle and a second sheet bundle are discharged onto the sheet discharge tray, the control unit is configured to selectively execute a first image forming mode or a second image forming mode. The first image forming mode is a mode in which a page order is controlled in such a manner that page numbers of sheets included in the second sheet bundle are larger than page numbers of sheets included in the first sheet bundle. The second image forming mode is a mode in which a page order is controlled in such a manner that page numbers of sheets included in the first sheet bundle are larger than page numbers of sheets included in the second sheet bundle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to an image forming system for folding asheet on which an image is formed.

Description of the Related Art

In many cases, a finishing device is connected to a multifunctionmachine. As a finishing device, there has been known a device thatreceives a sheet and performs inward tri-folding in which one endportion and the other end portion of the sheet are folded inwardlytoward the same side of the sheet. In addition, as a finishing device,there is a device that collectively folds a plurality of sheets inwardlyin three. Also, there is disclosed a configuration capable of checkingwhat portion of print data appears on a front surface of a sheet bundlebundled by inward tri-folding through a preview (see JP 2008-302518 A).

However, in a case where a plurality of sheet bundles are discharged inan order contrary to the user's intention, it is necessary to change theorder from image data. Thus, there has been a problem that usabilitydeteriorates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure provides an image forming system capable ofsuppressing deterioration in usability.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an image formingsystem includes an image forming unit configured to form images on aplurality of sheets, a sheet folding unit configured to fold theplurality of sheets, on which the images are formed by the image formingunit, to form a plurality of sheet bundle, a sheet discharge tray towhich the sheets folded by the sheet folding unit are discharged, and acontrol unit configured to receive a print job and control the imageforming unit based on the print job, the print job including informationon the number of pages of the sheets on which the images are formed andinformation on the number of sheets folded by the sheet folding unit inthe sheet bundle. For the print job in which the plurality of sheetbundles including a first sheet bundle and a second sheet bundledischarged after the first sheet bundle are discharged onto the sheetdischarge tray, the control unit is configured to selectively execute afirst image forming mode and a second image forming mode. The firstimage forming mode is a mode in which a page order in which the imagesare formed on the sheets by the image forming unit is controlled in sucha manner that page numbers of sheets included in the second sheet bundleare larger than page numbers of sheets included in the first sheetbundle. The second image forming mode is a mode in which a page order inwhich the images are formed on the sheets by the image forming unit iscontrolled in such a manner that page numbers of sheets included in thefirst sheet bundle are larger than page numbers of sheets included inthe second sheet bundle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an image formingsystem includes an image forming unit configured to form images on aplurality of sheets, a sheet folding unit configured to fold theplurality of sheets, on which the images are formed by the image formingunit, to form a plurality of sheet bundles, a sheet discharge tray towhich the sheets folded by the sheet folding unit are discharged, and acontrol unit configured to receive a print job and control the imageforming unit based on the print job, the print job including informationon the number of pages of the sheets on which the images are formed andinformation on the number of sheets folded by the sheet folding unit ineach of the sheet bundles. For the print job in which the plurality ofsheet bundles including a first sheet bundle and a second sheet bundledischarged after the first sheet bundle are discharged onto the sheetdischarge tray, the control unit is configured to selectively execute afirst mode and a second mode. The first mode being a mode in which apage order in which the images are formed on the sheets by the imageforming unit is controlled in such a manner that page numbers of sheetsincluded in the second sheet bundle are larger than page numbers ofsheets included in the first sheet bundle, and the plurality of sheetsconstituting each of the sheet bundles are arranged in an order in whichpage numbers of the sheets ascend from an innermost sheet to anoutermost sheet. The second mode being a mode in which a page order inwhich the images are formed on the sheets by the image forming unit iscontrolled in such a manner that page numbers of sheets included in thefirst sheet bundle are larger than page numbers of sheets included inthe second sheet bundle, and the plurality of sheets constituting eachof the sheet bundles are arranged in an order in which page numbers ofthe sheets ascend from an outermost sheet to an innermost sheet.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of exemplary embodiments with reference to theattached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming system according to afirst embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating hardware configurations of a hostcomputer and the image forming system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating software configurations of aprinter driver and a controller according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of a print jobaccording to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a case where a print side is anoutward side of a sheet, and the sheet is folded inwardly in three insuch a manner that a left end portion of the sheet in FIG. 5A is aportion that opens first in the image forming system according to thefirst embodiment.

FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating a case where a print side is anoutward side of a sheet, and the sheet is folded inwardly in three insuch a manner that a right end portion of the sheet in FIG. 5B is aportion that opens first.

FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating a case where a print side is an inwardside of a sheet, and the sheet is folded inwardly in three in such amanner that a left end portion of the sheet in FIG. 5C is a portion thatopens first.

FIG. 5D is a diagram illustrating a case where a print side is an inwardside of a sheet, and the sheet is folded inwardly in three in such amanner that a right end portion of the sheet in FIG. 5D is a portionthat opens first.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a print control process in a casewhere a job control unit causes a finisher to execute inward tri-foldingaccording to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of calculating the numberof sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner in an x-th bundleexecuted in the print control process according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating sheet bundles discharged in a forwardorder with sheets in each bundle being arranged in a forward order inthe image forming system according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating sheet bundles discharged in a reverseorder with sheets in each bundle being arranged in a reverse order.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a print control process in a casewhere a job control unit causes a finisher to execute inward tri-foldingaccording to a second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating sheet bundles discharged in a forwardorder with sheets in each bundle being arranged in a reverse order in animage forming system according to the second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present disclosure will bedescribed in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8B. First, a schematicconfiguration of an image forming system according to a first embodimentwill be described with reference to FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a cross-sectionalview illustrating an image forming apparatus 200 and a finisher 240serving as a sheet folding unit, which constitute the image formingsystem 1 according to the first embodiment.

Image Forming System

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the image forming apparatus 200 includes aprinter unit 213 serving as an image forming unit that forms an image ona sheet S, and a scanner unit 212 serving as an image reading unit thatreads an image from a document.

The scanner unit 212 includes a scanner 301 that optically reads animage from a document, and a document feeder (DF) 302 that conveys adocument to the scanner 301. In the scanner unit 212, in a case where adocument is set on a document table 303 to read an image, the documentis placed on the document table 303 by opening the DF 302, and then theimage is read from the document by closing the DF 302. In addition, inthe scanner unit 212, in a case where a document is set on the DF 302 toread an image, the document is placed on a document setting unit 308 ofthe DF 302. In a state where a document is placed on the documentsetting unit 308 and the document presence/absence sensor 309 detectsthe document, when the scanner unit 212 start reading an image, a sheetfeeding roller 310 and a conveyor belt 311 starts rotating to convey thedocument is conveyed to a predetermined position on the document table303.

When the scanner 301 reads an image from a document, the document isirradiated with light from a light source 304, such that the image isread by a CCD 307 via a reflector 305 and a lens 306. The CCD 307converts the read image into a digital signal, and converts the digitalsignal into image data by performing desired image processing. Theconverted image data is stored in a storage unit 223 (see FIG. 2 ) ofthe image forming apparatus 200. In a case where an image is read from adocument placed on the document setting unit 308 of the DF 302, afterthe reading of the image is completed, the conveyor belt 311 rotates toconvey the document, and the document is discharged onto a sheetdischarge tray 313 via a conveying roller 312 on a sheet discharge side.Note that, in the scanner unit 212, in a case where a plurality ofdocuments are placed on the document setting unit 308, at the time whena document is conveyed out of the document table 303 for discharge, anext document is fed via the sheet feeding roller 310, such that thenext document is read consecutively.

The printer unit 213 is used when the image data stored in the storageunit 223 (see FIG. 2 ) is printed on the sheet S. The image data isemitted to photosensitive members 314 for yellow, magenta, cyan, andblack, respectively, as recording laser beams of the four colors to formelectrostatic latent images on the photosensitive members 314. Theprinter unit 213 performs toner development with toners supplied fromtoner cartridges 315 for the respective colors, and primarily transferstoner images for the respective colors onto an intermediate transferbelt 316 in an overlapping manner.

The intermediate transfer belt 316 rotates in a direction indicated byan arrow A in FIG. 1 (a clockwise rotation direction). In the printerunit 213, the sheet S is fed from a sheet feeding unit 214 of a sheetcassette 317 or a manual feed tray 318 to a secondary transfer unit 320after passing through a sheet feeding conveyance path 319. Then,multiple toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 316 aretransferred onto a first side Sa (see FIGS. 5A to 5D) of the sheet S dueto the action of a secondary transfer bias voltage applied to thesecondary transfer unit 320.

The sheet S to which the images have been transferred isheat-pressurized by a fixing device 321 to fix the toner imagesthereonto, and is conveyed to a sheet discharge unit 215. In the case ofsingle-sided printing, the sheet S conveyed to the sheet discharge unit215 is discharged to any one of sheet discharge ports 322, 323, and 324.On the other hand, in the case of double-sided printing, the sheet Sconveyed to the sheet discharge unit 215 is transferred to a conveyancepath P3 by a flapper 326, and the switched-back sheet S is conveyed backto the secondary transfer unit 320 via a conveyance path P4 fordouble-sided printing. Then, images are formed on a second side Sb (seeFIGS. 5A to 5D), which is a back side of the first side Sa of the sheetS, substantially similarly to the toner images transferred and fixedonto the first side Sa of the sheet S.

When the sheet S is discharged from the sheet discharge port 322 or thesheet discharge port 323, the sheet S is conveyed after beingtransferred to a conveyance path P1 by the flapper 326. In addition,when the sheet S is discharged from the sheet discharge port 324, thesheet S is conveyed after being transferred to a conveyance path P2 bythe flapper 326.

When the sheet S is discharged from the sheet discharge port 322, thesheet S is discharged to a center tray 322 a provided on an upper sideof the printer unit 213. When the sheet S is discharged from the sheetdischarge port 323, the sheet S is discharged to the finisher 240connected to the printer unit 213. In the printer unit 213, when thesheet S is discharged from the sheet discharge port 323, the sheet S isdischarged in a switched-back state from the sheet discharge port 323after the sheet S is conveyed to the vicinity of the sheet dischargeport 322 and the conveyance path is changed by a flapper 325. When thesheet S is discharged from the sheet discharge port 324, the sheet S isdischarged onto a side tray 324 a provided on a lateral side of theprinter unit 213. Note that the printer unit 213 is configured to beable to discharge the sheet S from the sheet discharge port 324 onlywhen the finisher 240 is not mounted.

The finisher 240 is used to perform post-processing on a printed sheetaccording to a function designated by a user, and the sheet S conveyedfrom the sheet discharge port 323 is fed from a sheet feeding port 328.In the finisher 240, a stapling process using a stapler 333, a shiftingprocess for shifting the sheet S from the center of the conveyance path,and a folding process for folding a plurality of sheets S in a bundlingmanner are executed as the post-processing. The finisher 240 is alsoconfigured to be able to fold one sheet S.

When the post-processing is not performed, the sheet S fed from thesheet feeding port 328 is conveyed to a conveyance path P5 by a flapper329 and discharged from a sheet discharge port 331 to a sheet dischargetray 330. On the other hand, when the post-processing is executed, thesheet S fed from the sheet feeding port 328 is conveyed to a conveyancepath P6 by the flapper 329.

A case where the finisher 240 executes inward tri-folding as a foldingprocess will be described. The sheet S conveyed from the sheet feedingport 328 to the conveyance path P6 is conveyed to a conveyance path 337,and then switched back and conveyed to a sheet stacking unit 335. SheetsS are stacked as many as the number of sheets to be bundled by inwardtri-folding. In the first embodiment, the finisher 240 can fold at leastone sheet inwardly in three, and can bundle up to five sheets by theinward tri-folding in a state where the sheets are stacked on the sheetstacking unit 335.

The sheets S stacked on the sheet stacking unit 335 are pushed out in adirection indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 1 by a folding blade 336 a,thereby executing first folding in which one end portions of the sheetsare folded when passing between nip portions of a pair of foldingrollers 336. After the first folding is completed, the sheets S arereturned to the sheet stacking unit 335. Then, after the sheets S arereturned to a folding position 338, the sheets S are pushed out in thedirection indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 1 by the folding blade 336 a,thereby executing second folding in which the other end portions of thesheets are folded when passing between the nip portions of the pair offolding rollers 336. The sheet bundle subjected to the second folding tocomplete the inward tri-folding passes through a conveyance path 340,and is discharged to a sheet discharge tray 332 in an inward tri-foldingshape and in a direction in which the end portions of the sheets facethe sheet discharge tray 332.

Hardware Configuration

An example of a hardware configuration of the image forming system 1 andan example of a hardware configuration of a host computer 100 accordingto the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 .

The image forming system 1 includes a printer unit 213 that is an imageoutput device. In addition, the image forming apparatus 200 receives ajob from the host computer 100 via a local area network (LAN) 300.

A central processing unit (CPU) 220 is a central processing unit forcontrolling each of the units of the image forming system 1 in acomprehensive manner. A random access memory (RAM) 222 is a system workmemory for the CPU 220 to operate. The RAM 222 is also a memory fortemporarily storing a received job, intermediate data generated forimage forming processing, a work area at the time of performingrendering processing, and input image data. A read only memory (ROM) 221is, for example, a boot ROM, and stores a system boot program. A storageunit 223 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), and stores systemsoftware for various processes and received jobs.

An operation unit I/F 225 is an interface unit for an operation unit 211having a display unit for displaying various menus, job information, andthe like, and outputs operation screen data to the operation unit 211.In addition, the operation unit I/F 225 transmits information input by auser via the operation unit 211 to the CPU 220.

A network I/F 226 is an interface for exchanging information with anexternal device (the host computer 100) via the LAN 300.

The CPU 220, the ROM 221, the RAM 222, the storage unit 223, theoperation unit OF 225, and the network I/F 226 are connected to a systembus 227.

An image bus I/F 224 is an interface for connecting the system bus 227to an image bus 230 that transfers image data at a high speed, and is abus bridge that converts a data structure. A raster image processor(RIP) 231 and device I/Fs 232 and 233 are connected to the image bus230.

The RIP 231 analyzes intermediate data (display list) generated by theprocessing of the CPU 220 from a job on the basis of an instruction fromthe CPU 220, and develops the intermediate data into an image in araster format. The developed image is transmitted to the printer unit213 through the system bus 227 and the device I/F 233, or transmitted tothe RAM 222 and the storage unit 223 through the image bus I/F 224. TheRIP 231 may be implemented by any of hardware and software operatingtherein or in a general-purpose CPU.

The device I/F 232 is an interface for receiving data from the scannerunit 212. The scanner unit 212 is connected to the device I/F 232, andgenerates an image in a raster format from a read sheet. The generatedimage is transmitted to the printer unit 213 through the system bus 227and the device I/F 233, or transmitted to the RAM 222 and the storageunit 223 through the image bus I/F 224.

The device I/F 233 is an interface for transmitting data to the printerunit 213. The printer unit 213 is connected to the device I/F 233, andoutputs an image generated in response to an instruction of the CPU 220to a sheet S (paper) fed from the sheet feeding unit 214, and the sheetS is discharged to the sheet discharge unit 215.

The finisher 240 is connected to the sheet discharge unit 215, andperforms the above-described post-processing such as inward tri-folding,sorting, and stapling on the sheets output from the printer unit 213 tothe sheet discharge unit 215.

A CPU 120 of the host computer 100 is a central processing unit forcontrolling (each unit of) the host computer in a comprehensive manner.The CPU 120 executes a program stored in a storage unit 123. Examples ofthe program executed by the CPU 120 include an application program, autility program, a printer driver program, an operating system (OS), anda network printer control program. In addition, when executing theprogram, the CPU 120 performs control to temporarily store information,files, and the like necessary for executing the program in a RAM 122.

A ROM 121 is a storage medium that stores programs such as a basic I/Oprogram, and various types of data such as font data and template dataused during document processing. The RAM 122 is a storage medium thattemporarily stores data, and functions as a main memory or a work areaof the CPU 120. The storage unit 123 is one of external storage devices,and functions as a large-capacity memory. The storage unit 123 stores anapplication program, a utility program, a printer driver program, an OS,a network printer control program, and related programs, as describedabove.

An operation unit I/F 125 is a user interface for a user to input aninstruction. The operation unit I/F 125 includes, for example, akeyboard and a mouse, such that the user gives an input instruction tothe host computer 100 using them.

A display 124 displays various programs executed on the host computer100. A system bus 127 is a data transmission path in the host computer100. A network I/F 126 is an interface for exchanging information withthe image forming apparatus 200 via the LAN 300.

A software configuration of a printer driver 110 executed by the hostcomputer 100 according to the first embodiment will be described withreference to FIG. 3 .

A printer control unit 101 of the printer driver 110 controls eachsoftware unit operating on the CPU 120 from reading print datadesignated by the user to transmitting the print data as a job to theimage forming apparatus 200. A print setting unit 102 notifies a jobgeneration unit 103 of print setting information such as the number ofcopies of printing the print data designated by the user, the number ofsheets to be folded together in an overlapping manner, a folding patternof inward tri-folding, and a sheet page order. The job generation unit103 reads the print data designated by the user, and generates a printjob to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus 200 in conjunctionwith the print setting information notified from the print setting unit102. The generated print job is transmitted from a job transmission unit104 to a job reception unit 205 constituting a controller 210 of theimage forming apparatus 200.

A job control unit 201 of the controller 210 of the image formingapparatus 200 is software operating on the CPU 220 (see FIG. 2 ), andcontrols a printing-related job for printing. In addition, the jobcontrol unit 201 controls hardware and software related to execution ofcopying using the scanner unit 212. In other words, each software unitrelated to the print job illustrated in FIG. 3 is controlled by the jobcontrol unit 201 operating on the CPU 220. The CPU 220 constitutes acontrol unit in the first embodiment.

A job analysis unit 202 receives a print job transmitted from the hostcomputer 100 through the LAN 300 via the network I/F 226, and analyzesthe received print job. The job analysis unit 202 notifies the jobcontrol unit 201 of print setting information obtained from a jobanalysis result. In addition, the job analysis unit 202 acquires drawinginformation for printing each page of sheet from the print job, andgenerates intermediate data used for image forming processing.

An image data generation unit 203 generates image data in a rasterformat from the intermediate data generated by the job analysis unit202. The job control unit 201 transfers the image data in the rasterformat generated by the image data generation unit 203 to the printerunit 213 for printing.

Print Job

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a print job 700generated by the job generation unit 103. As illustrated in FIG. 4 , theprint job 700 includes a specific header 710 and a specific footer 711at a leading end and a trailing end, respectively, so that the imageforming apparatus 200 can recognize and process the print job.

The print job 700 includes a job start command 720 indicating the startof the job, a job end command 721 indicating the end of the job, and ajob setting command 730 for designating job information and printsettings valid for each job.

The job setting command 730 includes copy number information 731,post-processing information 732, folded print side information 733,overlap-folded sheet number information 734, and page order information735. The copy number information 731 is information indicating thenumber of copies of a product to be generated by printing n pages. Thepost-processing information 732 is information indicating details ofpost-processing executed by the finisher 240, and is, for example,information for designating post-processing such as inward tri-folding.The folded print side information 733 is information for designatingwhich direction a side (print side) on which an image is formed facesbetween an inward direction and an outward direction, in a case where asheet is folded by post-processing. The overlap-folded sheet numberinformation 734 is information for designating the number of sheets (thenumber of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner) to be includedin each sheet bundle created by the post-processing.

The page order information 735 is information for designating a pageorder in each sheet bundle and an order in which sheet bundles aredischarged. In a case where the post-processing is executed so that apage order in each sheet bundle is an order in which page numbers ofsheets ascend from an innermost sheet to an outermost sheet, a forwardorder in each bundle is designated in the page order information 735. Onthe other hand, in a case where the post-processing is executed so thata page order in each sheet bundle is an order in which page numbers ofsheets ascend from an outermost sheet to an innermost sheet, a reverseorder in each bundle is designated in the page order information 735. Inaddition, in a case where the sheets included in the sheet bundles aredischarged in the page order set in the print job 700, a first sheetdischarge order that is a forward order between the bundles isdesignated as an order in which the sheet bundles are discharged in thepage order information 735. On the other hand, in a case where thesheets included in the sheet bundles are discharged in a reverse orderto the page order set in the print job 700, a second sheet dischargeorder that is a reverse order between the bundles is designated as anorder in which the sheet bundles are discharged in the page orderinformation 735.

The CPU 220 performs print settings designated by the informationincluded in the job setting command 730. Note that the job settingcommand 730 includes information capable of designating many printsettings in addition to the various types of information describedabove.

Further, the print job 700 includes a page start command 740 indicatingthe start of each page, a page end command 741 indicating the end ofeach page, and a page setting command 742 for designating print settingsvalid for each page. The print job 700 includes a drawing command 750for drawing a character, an image, and a figure. In the print job 700,the page start command 740, the page end command 741, the page settingcommand 742, and the drawing command 750 are included as many as npages, which is the number of sheets to be printed for each copy, thatis, the number of pages for each copy.

Inward Tri-Folding

Among several kinds of post-processing performed by the finisher 240,“inward tri-folding” will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5D.The inward tri-folding is a process of folding one end portion and theother end portion of a sheet in such a manner that one side of the sheetis an inward side. In FIGS. 5A to 5D, in which single-sided printing isperformed by the printer unit 213, the first side Sa that is a printside on which an image is formed is indicated by dot hatching, and thesecond side Sb that is a back side of the first side Sa is indicated bywhite.

FIG. 5A illustrates a case where the first side Sa as a print side isvisible in a state where the sheet S is folded inwardly in three, thatis, inward tri-folding is performed in such a manner that the print sideis an outward side of the sheet S and a left end portion Sc in FIG. 5Ais a cover side that opens first. FIG. 5B illustrates a case whereinward tri-folding is performed in such a manner that the print side isan outward side of the sheet S and a right end portion Sd in FIG. 5B isa cover side that opens first. FIG. 5C illustrates a case where in astate where the sheet S is folded inwardly in three, a print sidecovered by the folded end portions is invisible, that is, inwardtri-folding is performed in such a manner that the first side Sa as aprint side is an inward side of the sheet S and the left end portion Scin FIG. 5C is a cover side that opens first. FIG. 5D illustrates a casewhere inward tri-folding is performed in such a manner that the printside is an inward side of the sheet S and a right end portion Sd in FIG.5D is a cover side that opens first.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, in a case where the print side is anoutward side of the sheet S, the second side Sb is an inward side at acentral portion Se sandwiched between a fold line Sca of the end portionSc and a fold line Sda of the end portion Sd. In addition, asillustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D, in a case where the print side is aninward side of the sheet S, the first side Sa is an inward side at acentral portion Se sandwiched between a fold line Sca of the end portionSc and a fold line Sda of the end portion Sd.

In the image forming system 1, in a case where an outward side isdesignated in the folded print side information 733 of the print job700, the print side is controlled to be an outward side of the sheet Sas illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. Specifically, in a case where anoutward side is designated in the folded print side information 733, theimage forming system 1 forms an image on the first side Sa of the sheetS in the printer unit 213, and then the sheet S is transferred to theconveyance path P1 by the flapper 326. After the sheet S is conveyed tothe vicinity of the sheet discharge port 322 and the conveyance path ischanged by the flapper 325, the sheet S is conveyed from the sheetdischarge port 323 to the sheet feeding port 328 in a switched-backstate, thereby conveying the sheet S to the finisher 240 in a statewhere the first side Sa faces a downward direction. The finisher 240executes inward tri-folding on the sheet S conveyed in a state where thefirst side Sa faces the downward direction, so that the inwardtri-folding can be executed in such a manner that the first side Sa thatis a print side is an outward side. In a case where the print job issingle-sided printing as described above, the process of folding one endportion and the other end portion of the sheet in such a manner that theprint side is an outward side is a second tri-folding process in thepresent embodiment.

In the image forming system 1, in a case where an inward side isdesignated in the folded print side information 733 of the print job700, the print side is controlled to be an inward side of the sheet S asillustrated in FIGS. 5C and 5D. Specifically, in a case where an inwardside is designated in the folded print side information 733, the imageforming system 1 forms an image on the first side Sa of the sheet S inthe printer unit 213, and then the sheet S is transferred to theconveyance path P3 by the flapper 326. The sheet S passes through thesecondary transfer unit 320 and the fixing device 321 via the conveyancepath P4 for double-sided printing, and then is conveyed to theconveyance path P1 by changing the conveyance path through the flapper326. Then, after the sheet S is conveyed to the vicinity of the sheetdischarge port 322 and the conveyance path is changed by the flapper325, the sheet S is conveyed from the sheet discharge port 323 to thesheet feeding port 328 in a switched-back state, thereby conveying thesheet S to the finisher 240 in a state where the first side Sa faces anupward direction. The finisher 240 executes inward tri-folding on thesheet S conveyed in a state where the first side Sa faces the upwarddirection, so that the inward tri-folding can be executed in such amanner that the first side Sa that is a print side is an inward side. Ina case where the print job is single-sided printing as described above,the process of folding one end portion and the other end portion of thesheet in such a manner that the print side is an inward side is a firsttri-folding process in the present embodiment.

The image forming system 1 according to the first embodiment isconfigured such that a user can designate one of the four inwardtri-folding patterns illustrated in FIGS. 5A to 5D as a print jobthrough an operation unit 111 of the host computer 100. Note that theimage forming system 1 may be configured to be able to designate aninward tri-folding pattern as a print job through the operation unit 211of the image forming apparatus 200.

Print Control Process in Case where Inward Tri-Folding is Performed

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a print control process in a casewhere the job control unit 201 of the controller 210 of the imageforming apparatus 200 causes the finisher 240 to execute inwardtri-folding according to the first embodiment.

First, the job control unit 201 determines whether or not a print job700 has been received (S1). When it is determined that the print job 700has not been received (No), the processing of the step S1 is repeateduntil a print job 700 is received. When it is determined that a printjob 700 has been received (Yes), the job control unit 201 determineswhether or not post-processing designated in post-processing information732 included in the print job 700 is inward tri-folding (S2). In thisprocessing, the job analysis unit 202 analyzes the post-processinginformation 732 of the print job 700, and notifies the job control unit201 of an analysis result. When the job control unit 201 determines thatinward tri-folding is designated from the notification (Yes), theprocess proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, when the job controlunit 201 determines that post-processing other than the inwardtri-folding is designated from the notification (No), thepost-processing designated in the post-processing information 732 of theprint job 700 is executed (S18). Then, the job control unit 201 ends thecontrol process as the print job 700 is completed.

In the processing of the step S3, the job control unit 201 determineswhether or not a print side designated in folded print side information733 included in the print job 700 is an inward side (S3). In thisprocessing, the job analysis unit 202 analyzes the folded print sideinformation 733 of the print job 700, and notifies the job control unit201 of an analysis result. When the job control unit 201 determines thatan inward side is designated as the print side from the notification(Yes), face-down (FD) sheet discharge is executed (S4). In thisprocessing, the job control unit 201 performs the FD sheet discharge inwhich the print side faces the sheet discharge tray 332, by dischargingthe sheet so that the first side Sa faces the sheet discharge tray 332at the central portion Se sandwiched between the fold line Sca of theend portion Sc and the fold line Sda of the end portion Sd.

On the other hand, in the processing of the step S3, when the jobcontrol unit 201 determines that an outward side is designated as theprint side from the notification (No), face-up (FU) sheet discharge isexecuted (S5). In this processing, the job control unit 201 performs theFU sheet discharge in which a back side of the print side faces thesheet discharge tray 332, by discharging the sheet so that the secondside Sb faces the sheet discharge tray 332 at the central portion Sesandwiched between the fold line Sca of the end portion Sc and the foldline Sda of the end portion Sd.

After the processing of the step S4 or S5 is executed, the job controlunit 201 determines whether or not the page order in each sheet bundledesignated in page order information 735 included in the print job 700is a reverse order in each bundle and whether or not the order in whichsheet bundles discharged is a reverse order between the bundles (S6). Inthis processing, the job analysis unit 202 analyzes the page orderinformation 735 of the print job 700, and notifies the job control unit201 of an analysis result. When it is determined that a reverse order ineach bundle and a reverse order between the bundles are designated fromthe notification (Yes), the job control unit 201 determines whether ornot image data has been generated for all the pages designated in theprint job 700 (S7). In this processing, when it is determined thatimages have not been generated for all the pages (No), the job controlunit 201 repeats the processing of the step S7 until images aregenerated for all the pages.

On the other hand, when it is determined that images have been generatedfor all the pages (Yes), the job control unit 201 calculates a totalnumber of sheets to be printed from the number of generated images andthe settings of the print job 700, and stores the total number of sheetsto be printed in the RAM 122 as the number of remaining sheets to beprinted (S8).

Next, the job control unit 201 determines whether or not the number ofremaining sheets to be printed is 0 (S9). In this processing, when it isdetermined that the number of remaining sheets to be printed stored inthe RAM 122 is 0 (Yes), the job control unit 201 determines that thereceived print job 700 has been completed, and ends the print controlprocess for executing the inward tri-folding.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the number of remainingsheets to be printed is not 0 (No), the job control unit 201 calculatesthe number of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner in an x-thbundle (S10). Here, the variable x is a variable indicating a currentbundle number.

In the processing of the step S10, the job control unit 201 calculatesthe number of sheets S to be included in a sheet bundle (the number ofsheets to be folded in an overlapping manner) for inward tri-folding tobe performed by the finisher 240 from now on. In addition, in a casewhere a reverse order in each bundle and a reverse order between thebundles are set, when the number of sheets for each copy exceeds thenumber of sheets designated in the overlap-folded sheet numberinformation 734 (the designated number of sheets), and a bundle ofsheets are further generated in a number less than the designated numberof sheets, the job control unit 201 calculates the number of sheets tobe folded in an overlapping manner so that the fractional bundle is afirst bundle. The step S10 will be described in detail below.

Next, the job control unit 201 starts printing the images in the pageorder designated in the print job 700 in descending order (S11). In thisprocessing, the job control unit 201 starts printing in descending orderby sequentially transferring image data corresponding to the number ofsheets to be folded in an overlapping manner calculated in theprocessing of the step S10 to the printer unit 213 from image data for alast one of pages that have not been transmitted. Furthermore, in theprocessing of the step S11, the job control unit 201 also transferssettings for inward tri-folding and settings for sheet discharge set inthe processing of the step S4 or S5 to the printer unit 213.

Next, the job control unit 201 sets a number obtained by subtracting thenumber of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner calculated in theprocessing of the step S10 from the number of remaining sheets to beprinted as a new number of remaining sheets to be printed (S12), andreturns to the processing of the step S9. The job control unit 201repeats the processing of the steps S9 to S12 until the number ofremaining sheets to be printed becomes 0, thereby completing theprinting of the images and the inward tri-folding as many as the numberof sheets instructed in the print job 700.

The processing of the steps S7 to S12 for causing the printer unit 213to form images so that the sheet bundles are discharged onto the sheetdischarge tray 332 in a reverse order constitutes a second image formingmode in the first embodiment. In addition, the control for causing thefinisher 240 to fold a plurality of sheets in a bundling manner in sucha manner that the plurality of sheets constituting each sheet bundle arearranged in a reverse order, which is an order in which page numbers ofthe sheets ascend from the outermost sheet to the innermost sheet, byexecuting the processing of the steps S7 to S12 constitutes a secondfolding mode in the first embodiment. Further, the processing of thesteps S7 to S12, in which the plurality of sheet bundles are output bythe image forming system 1 in a reverse order with the sheets in eachbundle being also output in a reverse order, constitutes a second modein the first embodiment.

In the processing of the step S6, when it is determined that a forwardorder in each bundle and a forward order between the bundles aredesignated from the notification (No), the job control unit 201determines whether or not image data has been generated for all thepages designated in the print job 700 (S13). In this processing, when itis determined that images have not been generated for all the pages(No), the job control unit 201 calculates the number of sheets to befolded in an overlapping manner in an x-th bundle (S14).

In the processing of the step S14, the job control unit 201 calculatesthe number of sheets S to be folded in an overlapping manner to beincluded in a sheet bundle for inward tri-folding to be performed by thefinisher 240 from now on. In addition, in a case where a forward orderbetween bundles with a forward order in each bundle is set, when thenumber of sheets for each copy exceeds the designated number of sheets,and a bundle of sheets are further generated in a number less than thedesignated number of sheets, the job control unit 201 calculates thenumber of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner so that thefractional bundle is a last bundle. The step S14 will be described indetail below.

Next, the job control unit 201 determines whether or not image datacorresponding to the number of sheets to be folded in an overlappingmanner calculated in the processing of the step S14 has been generated(S15). In this processing, when it is determined that image datacorresponding to the number of sheets to be folded in an overlappingmanner has not been generated (No), the job control unit 201 returns tothe processing of the step S13.

On the other hand, when it is determined that image data correspondingto the number of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner has beengenerated (Yes), or when it is determined in the processing of the stepS13 that images have been generated for all the pages (Yes), the jobcontrol unit 201 proceeds to the processing of step S16. In theprocessing of the step S16, the job control unit 201 starts printing theimages in the page order designated in the print job 700 in ascendingorder (S16). In this processing, the job control unit 201 startsprinting in ascending order by sequentially transferring image datacorresponding to the number of sheets to be folded in an overlappingmanner calculated in the processing of the step S14 to the printer unit213 from image data for a first one of pages that have not beentransmitted. Furthermore, in the processing of the step S16, the jobcontrol unit 201 also transfers settings for inward tri-folding andsettings for sheet discharge set in the processing of the step S4 or S5to the printer unit 213.

Next, the job control unit 201 determines whether or not the image datafor all the pages designated in the print job 700 has been transferredto the printer unit 213, and the printing of the images has been startedfor all the pages (S17). In this processing, when it is determined thatthe image data for all the pages designated in the print job 700 hasbeen transferred to the printer unit 213 (Yes), the job control unit 201determines that the received print job 700 has been completed. Then, thejob control unit 201 ends the print control process for executing theinward tri-folding. On the other hand, when it is determined that someof the image data for all the pages designated in the print job 700 hasnot been transferred to the printer unit 213 (No), the job control unit201 determines that the received print job 700 has not been completed,and returns to the processing to the step S13.

The processing of the steps S13 to S17 for causing the printer unit 213to form images so that the sheet bundles are discharged onto the sheetdischarge tray 332 in a forward order constitutes a first image formingmode in the first embodiment. In addition, the control for causing thefinisher 240 to fold a plurality of sheets in a bundling manner in sucha manner that the plurality of sheets constituting each sheet bundle arearranged in a forward order, which is an order in which page numbers ofthe sheets ascend from the innermost sheet to the outermost sheet, byexecuting the processing of the steps S13 to S17 constitutes a firstfolding mode in the first embodiment. Further, the processing of thesteps S13 to S17, in which the plurality of sheet bundles are output bythe image forming system 1 in a forward order with the sheets in eachbundle being also output in a forward order, constitutes a first mode inthe first embodiment.

Process of Calculating Number of Sheets to be Folded in OverlappingManner

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process of calculating the numberof sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner in an x-th bundleexecuted in the processing of the step S10 or S14 in the print controlprocess for executing the inward tri-folding illustrated in FIG. 6 .

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the job control unit 201 first calculates aquotient a and a remainder b by dividing n by m, the variable n beingthe number of pages for each copy and the variable m being thedesignated number of sheets designated in the overlap-folded sheetnumber information 734 of the print job 700 (S21). For example, in acase where 7 pages are designated as the number of pages for each copyand 3 sheets are designated as the designated number of sheetsdesignated in the overlap-folded sheet number information 734, the jobcontrol unit 201 sets the variables as n=7 and m=3. Then, the jobcontrol unit 201 obtains a value “2” as the quotient a and a value “1”as the remainder b by dividing the value “7” by the value “3”. Here, thevalue of the quotient a refers to the number of sheet bundles eachincluding a designated number of sheets, and the value of the remainderb refers to the number of sheets as a fraction less than the designatednumber of sheets.

Next, the job control unit 201 determines whether or not the value ofthe remainder b is “0” (S22). In this processing, when it is determinedthat the value of the remainder b is not “0” (No), the job control unit201 calculates a remainder c by dividing a variable x indicating acurrent bundle number by a+1, which is obtained by adding a value “1” tothe quotient a (S23). Here, the value “a+1” refers to the number ofbundles for each copy.

Next, the job control unit 201 determines whether or not the sheetbundles are discharged in a forward order and the value of the remainderc is “0” (S24). In this processing, when it is determined that at leastone of the condition for the order in which the sheet bundles aredischarged and the condition for the value of the remainder c is notsatisfied (No), the job control unit 201 proceeds to processing of stepS25. In the processing of the step S25, the job control unit 201determines whether or not the sheet bundles are discharged in a reverseorder and the value of the remainder c is “1” (S25).

In the processing of the step S25, when it is determined that at leastone of the condition for the order in which the sheet bundles aredischarged and the condition for the value of the remainder c is notsatisfied (No), the job control unit 201 determines that the x-th bundleis not a fractional bundle of sheets in a number less than thedesignated number of sheets, and proceeds to processing of step S26. Inaddition, when it is determined in the processing of the step S22 thatthe value of the remainder b is “0” (Yes), the job control unit 201determines that a fractional bundle of sheets in a number less than thedesignated number of sheets is not generated, and proceeds to theprocessing of the step S26. In the processing of the step S26, the jobcontrol unit 201 determines the number of sheets to be folded in anoverlapping manner in the x-th bundle as m, which is the same as thedesignated number of sheets (S26), and ends the process of calculatingthe number of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner in the x-thbundle.

In the processing of the step S24, when it is determined that both ofthe condition for the order in which the sheet bundles are dischargedand the condition for the value of the remainder c are satisfied (Yes),the job control unit 201 proceeds to processing of step S27 because thex-th bundle is a last bundle (a trailing bundle) for each copy in theforward order. In addition, in the processing of the step S25, when itis determined that both of the condition for the order in which thesheet bundles are discharged and the condition for the value of theremainder c are satisfied (Yes), the job control unit 201 proceeds toprocessing of step S27 because the x-th bundle is a first bundle (aleading bundle) for each copy in the reverse order. In the processing ofthe step S27, the job control unit 201 determines the number of sheetsto be folded in an overlapping manner in the x-th bundle as b, which isthe same as the remainder b (S27), and ends the process of calculatingthe number of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner in the x-thbundle.

By executing the process of calculating the number of sheets to befolded in an overlapping manner in the x-th bundle as illustrated inFIG. 7 , in a case where a fractional bundle of sheets is generated in anumber less than the designated number of sheets, the image formingsystem 1 can output the fractional bundle of sheets at the end of eachcopy in the forward order or can output the fractional bundle of sheetsat the beginning of each copy in the reverse order.

In other words, in the print job 700 in which the sheets are folded inbundles each including a designated number of sheets (a predeterminednumber of sheets), in a case where a bundle of sheets is generated in anumber less than the predetermined number of sheets, the job controlunit 201 folds the bundle of sheets in the number less than thepredetermined number of sheets at the end of printing for one copy inthe first mode. In addition, in the print job 700 in which the sheetsare folded in bundles each including a designated number of sheets (apredetermined number of sheets), in a case where a bundle of sheets isgenerated in a number less than the predetermined number of sheets, thejob control unit 201 folds the bundle of sheets in the number less thanthe predetermined number of sheets at the beginning of printing for onecopy in the second mode.

Sheet Bundles Discharged after being Folded Inwardly in Three

Sheet bundles discharged after being folded inwardly in three in theimage forming system 1 according to the first embodiment will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B. FIG. 8A is a view forexplaining sheet bundles arranged in the forward order with the sheetsin each bundle being arranged in the forward order, and FIG. 8B is aview for explaining sheet bundles arranged in the reverse order with thesheets in each bundle being arranged in the reverse order. In theexamples illustrated in FIGS. 8A and 8B, 2 copies are designated as thecopy number information 731, 3 sheets are designated as theoverlap-folded sheet number information 734, and 7 pages are designatedas the number of pages for each copy in the print job 700. Note that thefinisher 240 according to the first embodiment discharges sheets in sucha manner that end portions of the sheets constituting sheet bundles abuton the sheet discharge tray 332, while the sheet bundles are stacked inan overlapping manner. In other words, the finisher 240 dischargessheets so that opening portions of sheet bundles folded inwardly inthree are directed downward.

As illustrated in FIG. 8A, in the image forming system 1, in a casewhere bundles are arranged in the forward order with sheets in eachbundle being arranged in the forward order (first mode), products aredischarged in the following order: a first bundle 610, a second bundle620, a third bundle 630, a fourth bundle 611, a fifth bundle 621, and asixth bundle 631.

The first bundle 610 is folded inwardly in three so that a sheet offirst page, a sheet of second page, and a sheet of third page aresequentially arranged, with the sheet of first page being an innermostsheet. The second bundle 620 is folded inwardly in three so that a sheetof fourth page, a sheet of fifth page, and a sheet of sixth page aresequentially arranged, with the sheet of fourth page being an innermostsheet. As the third bundle 630, only a sheet of seventh page is foldedinwardly in three.

The fourth bundle 611 is folded inwardly in three so that a sheet offirst page, a sheet of second page, and a sheet of third page aresequentially arranged, with the sheet of first page being an innermostsheet. The fifth bundle 621 is folded inwardly in three so that a sheetof fourth page, a sheet of fifth page, and a sheet of sixth page aresequentially arranged, with the sheet of fourth page being an innermostsheet. As the sixth bundle 631, only a sheet of seventh page is foldedinwardly in three.

As described above, in the case where bundles are arranged in theforward order with sheets in each bundle being arranged in the forwardorder, page numbers of the sheets included in the second bundle 620 as asecond sheet bundle are larger than page numbers of the sheets includedin the first bundle 610 as a first sheet bundle. In addition, in thecase where bundles are arranged in the forward order with sheets in eachbundle being arranged in the forward order, a plurality of sheetsconstituting each sheet bundle are arranged in a page order in whichpage numbers of the sheets ascend from an innermost sheet to anoutermost sheet. Furthermore, the third bundle 630 as a third sheetbundle including sheets in a number less than the predetermined numberof sheets is folded in a bundling manner at the end of printing for onecopy. In a case where the print side is an inward side, the imageforming system 1 can set the inward side of the first bundle 610 as afirst print side of the first copy. In addition, in a case where theprint side is an inward side, the image forming system 1 can set theinward side of the fourth bundle 611 as a first print side of the secondcopy.

As illustrated in FIG. 8B, in the image forming system 1, in a casewhere bundles are arranged in the reverse order with sheets in eachbundle being arranged in the reverse order (second mode), products aredischarged in the following order: a first bundle 640, a second bundle650, a third bundle 660, a fourth bundle 641, a fifth bundle 651, and asixth bundle 661.

As the first bundle 640, only a sheet of seventh page is folded inwardlyin three. The second bundle 650 is folded inwardly in three so that asheet of sixth page, a sheet of fifth page, and a sheet of fourth pageare sequentially arranged, with the sheet of sixth page being aninnermost sheet. The third bundle 660 is folded inwardly in three sothat a sheet of third page, a sheet of second page, and a sheet of firstpage are sequentially arranged, with the sheet of third page being aninnermost sheet.

As the fourth bundle 641, only a sheet of seventh page is foldedinwardly in three. The fifth bundle 651 is folded inwardly in three sothat a sheet of sixth page, a sheet of fifth page, and a sheet of fourthpage are sequentially arranged, with the sheet of sixth page being aninnermost sheet. The sixth bundle 661 is folded inwardly in three sothat a sheet of third page, a sheet of second page, and a sheet of firstpage are sequentially arranged, with the sheet of third page being aninnermost sheet.

As described above, in the case where bundles are arranged in thereverse order with sheets in each bundle being arranged in the reverseorder, page numbers of the sheets included in the second bundle 650 as afirst sheet bundle are larger than page numbers of the sheets includedin the third bundle 660 as a second sheet bundle. In addition, in thecase where bundles are arranged in the reverse order with sheets in eachbundle being arranged in the reverse order, a plurality of sheetsconstituting each sheet bundle are arranged in a page order in whichpage numbers of the sheets ascend from an outermost sheet to aninnermost sheet. Furthermore, the first bundle 640 as a third sheetbundle including sheets in a number less than the predetermined numberof sheets is folded in a bundling manner at the beginning of printingfor one copy. In a case where the print side is an outward side, theimage forming system 1 can set the central portion Se of the outwardside of the third bundle 660 as a first side of the first copy. Inaddition, in a case where the print side is an outward side, the imageforming system 1 can set the central portion Se of the outward side ofthe sixth bundle 661 as a first side of the second copy.

As described above, in the image forming system 1, the first bundle 610,the second bundle 620, and the third bundle 630 that are arranged in theforward order with the sheets in each bundle being arranged in theforward order can correspond to the third bundle 660, the second bundle650, and the first bundle 640 that are arranged in the reverse orderwith the sheets in each bundle being arranged in the reverse order. Forexample, in the image forming system 1, the first bundle 610 and thethird bundle 660 can be constituted by the same pages of sheets,although the sheets are arranged in different orders between the firstbundle 610 and the third bundle 660.

Summary of First Embodiment

As described above, the image forming system 1 according to the firstembodiment is configured to be able to selectively execute a first mode,in which the printer unit 213 is controlled to discharge sheet bundlesin a forward order, and a second mode, in which the printer unit 213 iscontrolled to discharge sheet bundles in a reverse order. In addition,the image forming system 1 is configured to be able to selectivelyexecute a first folding mode, in which the printer unit 213 iscontrolled to discharge sheets in each bundle in a forward order, and asecond folding mode, in which the printer unit 213 is controlled todischarge sheets in each bundle in a reverse order, as a page order ineach sheet bundle. Therefore, the image forming system 1 makes itpossible to select an image desired to appear on a front surface afterthe folding process within a selectable range, such that the user canselect the image on the front surface of the sheet bundle withoutchanging image data, thereby preventing deterioration in usability.

In addition, the image forming system 1 according to the firstembodiment makes it possible to arrange sheets of sheet bundles foldedin an overlapping manner in the same page order regardless of an orderin which the sheet bundles are discharged. As a result, the imageforming system 1 makes it possible to prevent a page order in whichoutput sheets of sheet bundles are arranged from changing according tothe order in which the sheet bundles are discharged, thereby preventingdeterioration in usability.

Second Embodiment

Next, an image forming system 1 according to a second embodiment will bedescribed. The image forming system 1 according to the second embodimentis configured to be able to designate a reverse order in each bundle anda forward order between bundles, as well as a forward order in eachbundle and a forward order between bundles or a reverse order in eachbundle and a reverse order between bundles, by the page orderinformation 735 included in the print job 700. In this respect, theimage forming system 1 according to the second embodiment is differentfrom that according to the first embodiment described above. Since theother configurations are similar to those in the first embodiment,description thereof will be omitted, while components common to those inthe first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, controlprocesses common to those in the first embodiment are denoted by thesame step numbers.

Print Control Process in Case where Inward Tri-Folding is Performed

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a print control process in a casewhere the job control unit 201 of the controller 210 of the imageforming apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment causes thefinisher 240 to execute inward tri-folding.

After the processing of the step S4 or S5 is executed, the job controlunit 201 determines a page order in each sheet bundle and an order inwhich sheet bundles discharged that are designated in the page orderinformation 735 included in the print job 700 (S31). In this processing,the job analysis unit 202 analyzes the page order information 735 of theprint job 700, and notifies the job control unit 201 of an analysisresult. When the job control unit 201 determines that a reverse orderbetween bundles with a reverse order in each bundle (a reverse orderbetween bundles & a reverse order in each bundle) is designated from thenotification, the process proceeds to step S7. When the job control unit201 determines that a forward order between bundles with a forward orderin each bundle (a forward order between bundles & a forward order ineach bundle) is designated from the notification, the process proceedsto step S13. When the job control unit 201 determines that a forwardorder between bundles with a reverse order in each bundle (a forwardorder between bundles & a reverse order in each bundle) is designatedfrom the notification, the process proceeds to step S32.

In the processing of the step S32, the job control unit 201 determineswhether or not image data has been generated for all the pagesdesignated in the print job 700 (S32). In this processing, when it isdetermined that images have not been generated for all the pages (No),the job control unit 201 calculates the number of sheets to be folded inan overlapping manner in an x-th bundle (S33).

In the processing of the step S33, the job control unit 201 executes theprocess of calculating the number of sheets to be folded in anoverlapping manner illustrated in FIG. 7 . In a case where a forwardorder between bundles with a reverse order in each bundle is set, whenthe number of sheets for each copy exceeds the designated number ofsheets, and a bundle of sheets are further generated in a number lessthan the designated number of sheets, the job control unit 201 executesthe processing of the steps S21 to S27 of FIG. 7 and calculates thenumber of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner so that thefractional bundle is a last bundle.

Next, the job control unit 201 determines whether or not image datacorresponding to the number of sheets to be folded in an overlappingmanner calculated in the processing of the step S33 has been generated(S34). In this processing, when it is determined that image datacorresponding to the number of sheets to be folded in an overlappingmanner has not been generated (No), the job control unit 201 returns tothe processing of the step S32.

On the other hand, when it is determined that image data correspondingto the number of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner has beengenerated (Yes), or when it is determined in the processing of the stepS32 that images have been generated for all the pages (Yes), the jobcontrol unit 201 proceeds to processing of step S35. In the processingof the step S35, the job control unit 201 starts printing the images inthe page order designated in the print job 700 in descending order(S35). In this processing, the job control unit 201 starts printing indescending order by sequentially transferring image data correspondingto the number of sheets to be folded in an overlapping manner calculatedin the processing of the step S33 to the printer unit 213 from imagedata for a last page of the generated image data. Furthermore, in theprocessing of the step S35, the job control unit 201 also transferssettings for inward tri-folding and settings for sheet discharge set inthe processing of the step S4 or S5 to the printer unit 213.

Next, the job control unit 201 determines whether or not the image datafor all the pages designated in the print job 700 has been transferredto the printer unit 213, and the printing of the images has been startedfor all the pages (S36). In this processing, when it is determined thatthe image data for all the pages designated in the print job 700 hasbeen transferred to the printer unit 213 (Yes), the job control unit 201determines that the received print job 700 has been completed. Then, thejob control unit 201 ends the print control process for executing theinward tri-folding. On the other hand, when it is determined that someof the image data for all the pages designated in the print job 700 hasnot been transferred to the printer unit 213 (No), the job control unit201 determines that the received print job 700 has not been completed,and returns to the processing to the step S32. The processing of stepsS32 to S36, in which the plurality of sheet bundles are output by theimage forming system 1 in a forward order with sheets in each bundlebeing output in a reverse order as described above, constitutes a thirdmode in the second embodiment.

Sheet Bundles Discharged in Forward Order with Sheets in Each Bundlebeing Discharged in Reverse Order after being Folded Inwardly in Three

Sheet bundles discharged in a forward direction with sheets in eachbundle being discharged in a reverse direction after being foldedinwardly in three in the image forming system 1 according to the secondembodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . FIG. 10 is adiagram for explaining sheet bundles arranged in a forward directionwith sheets in each bundle being arranged in a reverse direction. In theexample illustrated in FIG. 10 , 2 copies are designated as the copynumber information 731, 3 sheets are designated as the overlap-foldedsheet number information 734, and 7 pages are designated as the numberof pages for each copy in the print job 700. Note that the finisher 240according to the second embodiment discharges sheets in such a mannerthat end portions of the sheets constituting sheet bundles abut on thesheet discharge tray 332, while the sheet bundles are stacked in anoverlapping manner. In other words, the finisher 240 discharges sheetsso that opening portions of sheet bundles folded inwardly in three aredirected downward.

As illustrated in FIG. 10 , in the image forming system 1, in a casewhere bundles are arranged in the forward order with sheets in eachbundle being arranged in the reverse order (third mode), products aredischarged in the following order: a first bundle 910, a second bundle920, a third bundle 930, a fourth bundle 911, a fifth bundle 921, and asixth bundle 931.

The first bundle 910 is folded inwardly in three so that a sheet ofthird page, a sheet of second page, and a sheet of first page aresequentially arranged, with the sheet of third page being an innermostsheet. The second bundle 920 is folded inwardly in three so that a sheetof sixth page, a sheet of fifth page, and a sheet of fourth page aresequentially arranged, with the sheet of sixth page being an innermostsheet. As the third bundle 930, only a sheet of seventh page is foldedinwardly in three.

The fourth bundle 911 is folded inwardly in three so that a sheet ofthird page, a sheet of second page, and a sheet of first page aresequentially arranged, with the sheet of third page being an innermostsheet. The fifth bundle 921 is folded inwardly in three so that a sheetof sixth page, a sheet of fifth page, and a sheet of fourth page aresequentially arranged, with the sheet of sixth page being an innermostsheet. As the sixth bundle 631, only a sheet of seventh page is foldedinwardly in three.

As described above, in the case where bundles are arranged in theforward order with sheets in each bundle being arranged in the reverseorder, page numbers of the sheets included in the second bundle 920 as asecond sheet bundle are larger than page numbers of the sheets includedin the first bundle 910 as a first sheet bundle. In addition, in thecase where bundles are arranged in the forward order with sheets in eachbundle being arranged in the reverse order, a plurality of sheetsconstituting each sheet bundle are arranged in a page order in whichpage numbers of the sheets ascend from an outermost sheet to aninnermost sheet. Furthermore, the third bundle 930 as a third sheetbundle including sheets in a number less than the predetermined numberof sheets is folded in a bundling manner as a last bundle of printingfor one copy. In a case where the print side is an outward side, theimage forming system 1 can set an outward end portion 940 of the firstbundle 910 as a first side of the first copy. In addition, in a casewhere the print side is an outward side, the image forming system 1 canset an outward end portion 941 of the fourth bundle 911 as a first sideof the second copy.

As described above, in the image forming system 1, the first bundle 910,the second bundle 920, and the third bundle 930 arranged in the forwardorder with the sheets in each bundle being arranged in the reverse ordercan correspond to the third bundle 660, the second bundle 650, and thefirst bundle 640 arranged in the reverse order with the sheets in eachbundle being arranged in the reverse order as illustrated in FIG. 8B,respectively. For example, in the image forming system 1, the thirdbundle 660 among bundles arranged in the reverse order with the sheetsin each bundle being arranged in the reverse order and the first bundle910 among bundles arranged in the forward order with the sheets in eachbundle being arranged in the reverse order can be constituted by thesame pages of sheets, although the third bundle 660 and the first bundle910 are arranged in different orders.

Summary of Second Embodiment

As described above, the image forming system 1 according to the secondembodiment is configured to be able to select any one of a forward orderin each bundle and a reverse order in each bundle as a page order ineach sheet bundle, even when the order in which the sheet bundles aredischarged in the forward order. Therefore, the image forming system 1makes it possible to expand a range in which an image desired to appearon a front surface after the folding process can be selected withoutchanging the order in which the sheet bundles are discharged, such thatthe user can select the image on the front surface of the sheet bundlewithout changing image data. As a result, the image forming system 1 canprevent deterioration in usability.

In addition, the image forming system 1 according to the secondembodiment makes it possible to arrange sheets of sheet bundles foldedin an overlapping manner in the same page order regardless of an orderin which the sheet bundles are discharged. As a result, the imageforming system 1 makes it possible to prevent a page order in whichoutput sheets of sheet bundles are arranged from changing according tothe order in which the sheet bundles are discharged, thereby preventingdeterioration in usability.

Other Embodiments

In the second embodiment, the image forming system 1 is configured to beable to designate, as a page order in each sheet bundle and an order inwhich sheet bundles are discharged, a forward order in each bundle and aforward order between bundles, a reverse order in each bundle and areverse order between bundles, or a reverse order in each bundle and aforward order between bundles, but is not limited thereto. The imageforming system 1 may be configured to be able to designate a forwardorder in each bundle and a reverse order between bundles, as well as aforward order in each bundle and a forward order between bundles, areverse order in each bundle and a reverse order between bundles, or areverse order in each bundle and a forward order between bundles.

In a case where the sheet bundles subjected to inward tri-folding aredischarged in the reverse order with the sheets in each bundle beingarranged in the forward order, when the number of sheets for each copyexceeds the designated number of sheets, and a bundle of sheets arefurther generated in a number less than the designated number of sheets,the job control unit 201 calculates the number of sheets to be folded inan overlapping manner so that the fractional bundle is a first bundle.

As a result, the image forming system 1 makes it possible to arrangesheets of sheet bundles folded in an overlapping manner in the same pageorder regardless of an order in which the sheet bundles are discharged.In addition, the image forming system 1 makes it possible to prevent apage order in which output sheets of sheet bundles are arranged fromchanging according to the order in which the sheet bundles aredischarged, thereby preventing deterioration in usability.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the finisher 240 isconfigured to discharge sheets subjected to inward tri-folding in such amanner that end portions of the sheets constituting sheet bundles abuton the sheet discharge tray 332, but is not limited thereto. Thefinisher 240 may be configured to discharge sheets subjected to inwardtri-folding in such a manner that central portions sandwiched betweenfold lines of one end portions and fold lines of the other end portionsof the sheet bundles abut on the sheet discharge tray 332, that is, todischarge sheets in such a manner that opening portions of the sheetbundle are directed upward.

In a case where the finisher 240 is configured as described above, thejob control unit 201 may be configured to perform FU sheet dischargewhen an inward side is designated as the print side, and perform FDsheet discharge when an outward side is designated as the print side.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the job control unit201 is configured to execute the control process illustrated in FIG. 6or 9 to determine an order in which sheets in a number less than thedesignated number of sheets in a fractional bundle are discharged forinward tri-folding, but is not limited thereto. For example, even in acase where duplex folding is executed as post-processing, the jobcontrol unit 201 may be configured to discharge a fractional bundle as alast bundle when the sheet bundles are discharged in the forward order,and discharge a fractional bundle as a first bundle when the sheetbundles are discharged in the reverse order.

In addition, for example, even in a case where duplex folding isexecuted as post-processing, the job control unit 201 may be configuredto be able to designate a page order in each sheet bundle and an orderin which sheet bundles are discharged. That is, even in a case whereduplex folding is executed, the job control unit 201 may be configuredto be able to select a forward order in each bundle and a forward orderbetween bundles, a reverse order in each bundle and a reverse orderbetween bundles, a reverse order in each bundle and a forward orderbetween bundles, or a forward order in each bundle and a reverse orderbetween bundles.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the job control unit201 is configured to set which of FD sheet discharge and FU sheetdischarge is to be executed depending on a print side designated by thefolded print side information 733 included in the print job 700, but isnot limited thereto. For example, the job control unit 201 may beconfigured to set which of FD sheet discharge and FU sheet discharge isto be executed depending on a page order in each sheet bundle.Specifically, the job control unit 201 may be configured to execute FDsheet discharge when a forward order in each bundle is designated by thepage order information 735 included in the print job 700, and execute FUsheet discharge when a reverse order in each bundle is designated by thepage order information 735 included in the print job 700.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the image formingsystem 1 is configured to reverse a print side of the sheet S when thesheet S is fed to the finisher 240 using the conveyance path in a casewhere double-sided printing is performed on the sheet S, but is notlimited thereto. For example, the image forming system 1 may beconfigured to reverse a print side of the sheet S by directly conveyingthe sheet S from the conveyance path P1 to the sheet discharge port 323,rather than changing the conveyance path through the flapper 325,switching back the sheet S at the sheet discharge port 322, andconveying the switched-back sheet S to the sheet discharge port 323.Alternatively, the image forming system 1 may be configured to reverse aprint side of the sheet S by switching back the sheet S after conveyingthe sheet S to the vicinity of the sheet discharge port 331, andconveying the switched-back sheet S to the conveyance path P6 bychanging the conveyance path through the flapper 329.

That is, the image forming system 1 may be configured to reverse a printside of the sheet S using a configuration enabling the sheet to beswitched back or a configuration enabling double-sided printing providedin the printer unit 213 or the finisher 240.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the job control unit201 is configured to generate sheet bundles in the page order in eachsheet bundle and in the order in which the sheet bundles are dischargedthat are designated by the page order information 735 of the print job700, but is not limited thereto. For example, in a case where one sheetis designated as the number of sheets designated by the overlap-foldedsheet number information 734 of the print job 700, the job control unit201 may be configured to select a forward order in discharging thebundles regardless of information designated by the page orderinformation 735.

In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the image formingsystem 1 is a multi-function printer (MFP) including the image formingapparatus 200 and the finisher 240, but is not limited thereto. Forexample, the image forming system 1 may be a single function printer(SFP) in which the image forming apparatus has a finishing function. Insuch a configuration, the image forming apparatus constitutes the imageforming system.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to selectivelychange an order in which sheet bundles are discharged without changingimage data, thereby preventing deterioration in usability.

Other Embodiments

Embodiment(s) of the present invention can also be realized by acomputer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computerexecutable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on astorage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform thefunctions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/orthat includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or moreof the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by thecomputer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out andexecuting the computer executable instructions from the storage mediumto perform the functions of one or more of the above-describedembodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform thefunctions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). Thecomputer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processingunit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network ofseparate computers or separate processors to read out and execute thecomputer executable instructions. The computer executable instructionsmay be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or thestorage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or moreof a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM),a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as acompact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™),a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.

While the present invention has been described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of thefollowing claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent structures andfunctions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No.2021-193527, filed Nov. 29, 2021, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. An image forming system comprising: an imageforming unit configured to form images on a plurality of sheets; a sheetfolding unit configured to fold the plurality of sheets, on which theimages are formed by the image forming unit, to form a plurality ofsheet bundle; a sheet discharge tray to which the sheets folded by thesheet folding unit are discharged; and a control unit configured toreceive a print job and control the image forming unit based on theprint job, the print job including information on the number of pages ofthe sheets on which the images are formed and information on the numberof sheets folded by the sheet folding unit in the sheet bundle, wherein,for the print job in which the plurality of sheet bundles including afirst sheet bundle and a second sheet bundle discharged after the firstsheet bundle are discharged onto the sheet discharge tray, the controlunit is configured to selectively execute a first image forming mode anda second image forming mode, the first image forming mode being a modein which a page order in which the images are formed on the sheets bythe image forming unit is controlled in such a manner that page numbersof sheets included in the second sheet bundle are larger than pagenumbers of sheets included in the first sheet bundle, the second imageforming mode being a mode in which a page order in which the images areformed on the sheets by the image forming unit is controlled in such amanner that page numbers of sheets included in the first sheet bundleare larger than page numbers of sheets included in the second sheetbundle.
 2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein thecontrol unit is configured to selectively execute a first folding modeand a second folding mode, the first folding mode being a mode in whichthe sheet folding unit folds the plurality of sheets constituting eachof the sheet bundles in an order in which the page numbers of the sheetsascend from an innermost sheet to an outermost sheet, and the secondfolding mode being a mode in which the sheet folding unit folds theplurality of sheets constituting each of the sheet bundles in an orderin which the page numbers of the sheets ascend from an outermost sheetto an innermost sheet.
 3. The image forming system according to claim 1,wherein the print job includes information on the number of copies ofsheets to be printed, and in the print job in which a predeterminednumber of sheets are folded by the sheet folding unit to form each ofthe sheet bundles, the sheet folding unit is configured to fold a thirdsheet bundle including sheets in a number less than the predeterminednumber of sheets at the end of printing for each copy in the first imageforming mode, and fold the third sheet bundle at the beginning ofprinting for each copy in the second image forming mode.
 4. The imageforming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit isconfigured to form an image on a first side of each of the sheets in acase where the print job is single-sided printing, and the sheet foldingunit is configured to execute a tri-folding process for folding one endportion and the other end portion of the sheet in such a manner that thefirst side is an inward side.
 5. The image forming system according toclaim 1, wherein the image forming unit is configured to form an imageon a first side of each of the sheets in a case where the print job issingle-sided printing, and the sheet folding unit is configured toexecute a tri-folding process for folding one end portion and the otherend portion of the sheet in such a manner that a second side, which is aback side of the first side, is an inward side.
 6. The image formingsystem according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit isconfigured to form an image on a first side of each of the sheets in acase where the print job is single-sided printing, and the sheet foldingunit is configured to execute a first tri-folding process for foldingone end portion and the other end portion of the sheet in such a mannerthat the first side is an inward side, and a second tri-folding processfor folding one end portion and the other end portion of the sheet insuch a manner that a second side, which is a back side of the firstside, is an inward side.
 7. The image forming system according to claim1, wherein the control unit is configured to select and execute thefirst image forming mode in a case where the number of sheets folded bythe sheet folding unit is one.
 8. An image forming system comprising: animage forming unit configured to form images on a plurality of sheets; asheet folding unit configured to fold the plurality of sheets, on whichthe images are formed by the image forming unit, to form a plurality ofsheet bundles; a sheet discharge tray to which the sheets folded by thesheet folding unit are discharged; and a control unit configured toreceive a print job and control the image forming unit based on theprint job, the print job including information on the number of pages ofthe sheets on which the images are formed and information on the numberof sheets folded by the sheet folding unit in each of the sheet bundles,wherein, for the print job in which the plurality of sheet bundlesincluding a first sheet bundle and a second sheet bundle dischargedafter the first sheet bundle are discharged onto the sheet dischargetray, the control unit is configured to selectively execute a first modeand a second mode, the first mode being a mode in which a page order inwhich the images are formed on the sheets by the image forming unit iscontrolled in such a manner that page numbers of sheets included in thesecond sheet bundle are larger than page numbers of sheets included inthe first sheet bundle, and the plurality of sheets constituting each ofthe sheet bundles are arranged in an order in which page numbers of thesheets ascend from an innermost sheet to an outermost sheet, the secondmode being a mode in which a page order in which the images are formedon the sheets by the image forming unit is controlled in such a mannerthat page numbers of sheets included in the first sheet bundle arelarger than page numbers of sheets included in the second sheet bundle,and the plurality of sheets constituting each of the sheet bundles arearranged in an order in which page numbers of the sheets ascend from anoutermost sheet to an innermost sheet.
 9. The image forming systemaccording to claim 8, wherein the print job includes information on thenumber of copies of sheets to be printed, and in the print job in whicha predetermined number of sheets are folded by the sheet folding unit toform each of the sheet bundles, the sheet folding unit is configured tofold a third sheet bundle including sheets in a number less than thepredetermined number of sheets at the end of printing for each copy inthe first mode, and fold the third sheet bundle at the beginning ofprinting for each copy in the second mode.
 10. The image forming systemaccording to claim 8, wherein the image forming unit is configured toform an image on a first side of each of the sheets in a case where theprint job is single-sided printing, and the sheet folding unit isconfigured to execute a first tri-folding process for folding one endportion and the other end portion of the sheet in such a manner that thefirst side is an inward side, and a second tri-folding process forfolding one end portion and the other end portion of the sheet in such amanner that a second side, which is a back side of the first side, is aninward side.
 11. The image forming system according to claim 8, wherein,for the print job in which the plurality of sheet bundles including thefirst sheet bundle and the second sheet bundle are discharged onto thesheet discharge tray, the control unit is configured to execute a thirdmode in which a page order in which the images are formed on the sheetsby the image forming unit is controlled in such a manner that pagenumbers of sheets included in the second sheet bundle are larger thanpage numbers of sheets included in the first sheet bundle, and theplurality of sheets constituting each of the sheet bundles are arrangedin an order in which page numbers of the sheets ascend from an outermostsheet to an innermost sheet.
 12. The image forming system according toclaim 8, wherein the control unit is configured to select and executethe first image forming mode in a case where the number of sheets foldedby the sheet folding unit is one.